Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(128)

“Dev, stop.” Guilt wouldn’t solve anything at this point. We needed to figure out how to wake Daniel up. He had to wake up.

“After you lost the baby, I knew he was hungry and I knew he wouldn’t feed off of you because he thought you were too weak, but I was angry.” Dev’s face knotted in an expression of self-loathing. “I knew he wouldn’t take blood from anyone else. I let him go hungry.”

“Dev, this is not your fault,” I said.

He shook his head. “This isn’t the type of relationship where I can tell him to f*ck himself and not talk to him for days. He needs me. He needs us.”

“Stop it.” I forced him to look at me. “This isn’t your fault. I was with him for days, baby. I fed him and he was full. He was full of blood and he had plenty of sex. The two days he went without were uncomfortable but it wouldn’t do this to him. Lee, bring the death god in here. This is Arawn’s fault. Daniel was tired when we went to bed last night but he certainly wasn’t cold. I want to know what that bastard did to my husband.”

Dev pulled his Sig Sauer from the holster in the small of his back. “Zack, take Neil as well. Convince Arawn to join us by any means necessary. I’ll protect us if it’s needed.”

Zack nodded, looking forward to a little intimidation. Neil and Zack followed Lee out the door.

“I’m so sorry, my love,” Dev said, his arm going around my shoulder.

I looked down at Daniel, praying there was some way to bring him back to us. It wouldn’t mean anything to have come so far only to lose Daniel. I reached out again and clutched his cold hand. His body was a perfect slab of marble, as if Michelangelo had carved him. He was so still it reminded me of the last time I’d seen him this way. He’d been on a gurney in the morgue. I had needed to identify his body. I took a deep breath. He’d come back to me that time, and he would come back again.

“I’m coming,” a deep voice said. “You don’t have to push me and you don’t have to point that thing at me.”

“I don’t have to.” Lee growled as Zack continued to point his gun at the faery. “I’m just enjoying it. If you’ve killed the vampire, I think I’ll enjoy taking you apart piece by piece.”

“It wasn’t me, idiot.” Roarke’s tone was harsh, a little gravelly. “All you’ll do is kill me and it won’t hurt Arawn at all. He’ll just find a new imbecile to inhabit and he and Nim will go their own way.”

“Roarke,” Nim reached out for him.

“Shut up, Nim. You’re just the same as Arawn. You both want to use me to your own ends. I don’t want to talk to either of you.” Roarke was pushed into the room, all three wolves surrounding him.

“Guys,” I said to the wolves. “I don’t think Roarke is going to do anything to hurt Daniel. It’s the other one’s fault.”

Lee shook his head in annoyance. “I hate this whole sharing bodies thing. There should be a one person per body rule. I never know who I should beat the crap out of.”

“Well, it isn’t me,” Roarke insisted. “How can I help you, Your Grace?”

I had a feeling the question had been directed at Dev. Roarke bowed his head to the priest with the greatest respect.

“This man is my partner,” Dev said with quiet determination. “How has the death lord injured him?”

Nim stepped forward. I was a little sad to see her former light had dimmed. “Arawn can feed off the energy that comes from the reanimated dead. Usually there is little even from a vampire. Daniel’s unique DNA makes him different. Arawn told me last night that he has an enormous amount of energy pouring off of him.”

“Well, there doesn’t seem to be much now, does there?” Dev stood and walked to Nim. He towered over her but he didn’t seem to mind intimidating the small woman. “We’ve been friends, Nim. I’ve aided you at times. I know that you and Arawn have been lovers for at least a thousand years, so I understand how important he is to you. If Daniel dies, know that I will make it my goal in life to discover a way to destroy him.”

“He didn’t mean any harm, Devinshea,” Nim insisted, her violet eyes pleading.

Dev shook his head, not moved a bit. This was a side few people saw of Dev. For the most part, Dev was calm and friendly. He appeared to be a rather soft, caring man while Daniel was the ruthless killer, but Dev was every bit as merciless as Daniel could be. He just hid it better. “I don’t care whether harm was meant or not. If he dies, I will pursue my course and I won’t stop until I’ve achieved it.”

“I know what happened,” Roarke said. “You don’t have to scare Nim.”

Nim tried to hug Roarke, but he pushed her away gently. “Not now, Nim. Arawn will be back soon and he’ll be happy to hold you.”

I frowned as Nim sank into a chair and looked pretty damn miserable. Roarke turned back to Dev.

“Explain this to me, Roarke,” Dev demanded. “My goddess tells me he was tired but fine last night when they went to bed. Daniel should have been able to rouse himself when our wife was in danger. I have seen him do amazing things, take more damage than any being should be able to when her life is at stake.”

Roarke listened for a moment to a voice in his head. “He was fine last night. Arawn had ceased his slow feed on the vampire. It was the danger he was placed in when the red caps caught up with us that caused him to drain the vampire.”